Nurse helps save man’s life after freeway accident

By Jake Chung / Staff writer

A car accident on National Highway No. 3 earlier this week might have cost 28-year-old Lu Kuo-tung (盧國棟) his life if it were not for an E-Da Hospital nurse, Wu Mei-yi (吳美儀), who witnessed the crash helped with resuscitation efforts until an ambulance arrived, according to a local media report.

The Chinese-language United Daily News reported that the accident occurred on Monday evening when Lu, his girlfriend, Lu Chiao-hsin (盧喬馨), and six colleagues, were returning to Pingtung from Greater Tainan.

The rear tire on the right side popped, causing the minivan to flip over near the cable-stayed bridge crossing the Kaoping River (高屏溪).

All the passengers in the minivan exited the vehicle except Lu Kuo-tung, who displayed no vital signs, the report said.

Wu, who had been traveling behind the minivan, is a home-care nurse, and she — along with Lu Chiao-hsin — stopped and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), with Lu Chiao-hsin blowing air into Lu Kuo-tung’s mouth and Wu pumping his chest.

“We had nearly given up because the patient did not respond, but we said that he was just 28 and had his whole life in front of him so we could not give up,” Wu was quoted as saying.

Lu Kuo-tung’s heart started beating just before the ambulance arrived, Wu said according to the report, adding that she helped the other wounded passengers after Lu Kuo-tung’s vital signs returned.

The report said Wu thought her presence was a stroke of luck, as she had gotten off work on time and was returning home to prepare dinner for her family.

“The first thought that flashed across my mind was ‘we must save him,’” Wu said.

Even though she had not been able to make dinner for her family as planned, and gave them quite a shock when she returned home with bloodied hands and clothes due to her work on Lu Kuo-tung, Wu said it was heartwarming to have saved a life.

Wu visited Lu Kuo-tung in an intensive care ward on Wednesday. Lu Chiao-hsin immediately knew who she was and was teary-eyed with gratitude, the report said.

Wu made no mention of the incident to her colleagues until the head nurse, Chi Shu-ching (紀淑靜), noticed that she was limping.

“She had been kneeling in shattered glass for half an hour trying to save that man on Monday,” Chi said she had learned, adding that she was very proud of Wu.